“Kings of Hollywood”
Hollywood’s old men are great fun
Duke Montana (Tommy Lee Jones) has to watch out for Max Berber (Robert De Niro).
© © Telepool
To get money, Max would kill the leading actor in his film himself … That is what the film “Kings of Hollywood” has to offer.
How do you get rid of your debts as a film producer with the Mafia? By killing the main character of his new flick! “Kings of Hollywood” (in cinemas from June 24th) takes viewers to Hollywood in the 70s and tells the story of a failed filmmaker. The comedy scores above all with its top-class cast: Robert De Niro (77), Tommy Lee Jones (74), Morgan Freeman (84) and Zach Braff (46) can be seen in the lead roles and ensure a lot of funny exchanges. Anyone who longs for comedy after a long break from cinema caused by corona has come to the right place with “Kings of Hollywood”.
Tommy Lee Jones as a cowboy made of steel
Max Barber (De Niro) is in a tight spot: his last film, “Killer Nonnen”, turned out to be a flop. Now his investor, gang boss Reggie Fontaine (Freeman), wants his money back. Producer James Moore (Emile Hirsch, 36) offers Max $ 1.2 million for a film script – the money would save him. However, Max refuses to give up his beloved script. But then he is given another idea: On the set of James’ latest film, the main actor Frank Pierce (Patrick Muldoon, 52) is killed. By insuring the actor, James receives a huge sum of money in compensation.
Max now wants to shoot a western together with his nephew Walter Creason (Braff). For the main role they hire the suicidal Duke Montana (Jones) – but Max has a perfidious ulterior motive. Duke is said to be highly insured and killed in a staged accident on the set. In the end, Max wants to collect the sum insured and use it to pay off his debts. However, it is not that easy to carry out the plan – Duke suddenly seems indestructible thanks to his new will to live.
Perfect cast
Both De Niro and Freeman and Braff impersonate their roles ludicrously, but Jones steals the show from everyone. The 74-year-old is made for the role of the aged western hero who doesn’t let anything get him down. His body is on fire? He keeps a cool head. He falls into a ravine? That doesn’t make him cold either! Together with his movie horse Butterscotch, he always escapes great misfortune and drives De Niro crazy.
Kate Katzman also shines in her small but fine role. She plays the ambitious director of the film, Megan Albert. Like so many women in Hollywood, she is portrayed as rather naive, but her humorous manner gives “Kings of Hollywood” the necessary oomph. The only drawback: Katzman is definitely too little to see!
Fast pace
The background stories of the characters leave a little to be desired. Although it briefly touches on why Duke Montana no longer has the will to live, one would expect that this topic is not only scratched on the surface. On the other hand, the film has a very fast pace with its 104 minutes and so there is little time to let the story go a little deeper.
Although “Kings of Hollywood” may put a smile on the face of the audience all the time, the big laughs are missing. For the funniest scenes, only Jones and his horse are responsible, who form an unbeatable team. Braff, who became known as the fun up-and-coming doctor in “Scrubs,” could show little of his comedic talent. He actually brings that little bit of seriousness to the story.
Conclusion
Even if “Kings of Hollywood” is a thoroughly shallow comedy, the remake of the 1982 film of the same name is a must for those movie lovers who have been craving entertainment for months. The combination of Hollywood greats De Niro, Jones and Freeman is absolutely worth seeing; together they guide you through the work of director George Gallo (65) as if in flight.